You Never Give Me Your Money
About a month ago, I was at a fund raising event for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Nice event. Lots of music, drinks, food, raffles, silent auctions...a typical fundraiser. All in honor and memory of a classmate who died of Pulmonary Fibrosis, in June 2012.
In the three hours I was there, they raised about $6000. It went on for a few more hours so let's say they raised about $15k. Nice haul for a local event and it got me thinking about other diseases, and how they use celebrities to raise money.
Let's start with Michael J. Fox and his foundation. I mention Mike often in my posts and for good reason. The MJF Foundation has invested more than $325 million for Parkinson's research. When you see M.J.F. now, you don't think of Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties, Marty McFly from Back to the Future or any of his other roles. You see a man who is fighting Parkinson's Disease. It tugs on your heart strings. Makes you want to write a check. CHA-CHING!! Next thing you know he's raised all that money. Michael J. Fox is a good guy to have on your side.
Next is Ron Santo. You may know him as a Hall Of Fame baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. He spent twenty years as a radio broadcaster for the Cubs. He was also was the face of Diabetes.
Santo was diagnosed with diabetes at age 19. He spent years without saying anything, fearing his baseball career would end. By the time he became a broadcaster, diabetes was ravaging his body. He lost both of his legs, battled heart disease and fought cancer, all very publicly, until his death in 2010.
In 1979, Santo started sponsoring a series of walks in the Chicago area. Every October, you can find people walking along the lakefront and in the suburbs, all in the name of diabetes. Charity walks are very popular now. Almost all charities have one now. They weren't as common in 1979. These walks have raised over $65 million. You may think of Santo as a ballplayer or a broadcaster but his most lasting work will be as a face of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
If I asked you to name three celebrities that died of cancer, you could do it easily. Farrah Fawcett, Steve McQueen, Steve Jobs, Humphrey Bogart and so many more. Here's a few celebrities that have foundations that raise money for cancer. The Baldwin brothers, Barbara Streisand, Gloria Estefan, plus there are places like the John Wayne Cancer Institute and Gilda's Club. It all leads to millions of dollars being raised for cancer research and awareness.
Now let's go back to the start and talk a little about Pulmonary Fibrosis. If you aren't familiar with this, it's a lung disease that causes shortness of breath, chronic dry cough, fatigue and rapid weight loss. Life expectancy is 2-5 years and it's not a pleasant 2-5 years. You live with oxygen 24-7 and even moving from one room to another is a struggle. Plus in cases of Idiopathic PF, it can appear without any cause. One day you're fine and the next you have a death sentence...and no one know why.
Are you familiar with this man? His name is James Doohan. He's more commonly known as Scotty on Star Trek...and yes he's that "Beam me up, Scotty". Doohan and Gordon Jump, who played Mr. Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati, were the two biggest celebrities I could find, that died of Pulmonary Fibrosis. Doesn't exactly make you want to reach into your pocket and give, does it?
So what's the conclusion? Money is tight. Charities have a lot of competition for donations. Does having a well known face help with fundraising? It couldn't hurt!!